10 Most Worn Brands in 2020
Happy New Year y’all! This is gonna be my first post in (men’s) fashion, particularlly menswear. Some of the brands I just got to know for the past months and some of them I’ve been rocking for a longer time. They are mostly simple and minimum.
Pyer Moss
Pyer Moss was founded by Kerby Jean-Raymond in 2013 and himself is the winner of 2020 CFDA Award for American Menswear Designer of the Year. I was caught into this brand because the items are actually not what I would usually wear. You can see bright colors largely used in this brand and for the majority of cloths with such color splash, they tend to be harsh in the whole body fit. However, Pyer Moss has its unique colorway that in my opinion speaks well for its political standing but at the same time fits perfectly in any of my outfits. Its jacket is short cut in length and long in sleeves, which is very similar to Bottega Veneta, if you are fan of them.
Public School (PSNY)
Founded by Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, Public School is a 100% NYC-breed brand. I firstly knew this brand because of Eugene Tong, who once showed up in a fashion week with a Mets Dad PSNY hat. PSNY is inspired by NYC street culture that combines hiphop, music, skate, etc. I can feel a strong NYC element in this brand, and my go-to item would be definitely its Dad hat. The cloth, however, does not have the quality I expect.
Carhartt WIP
Carhartt WIP is a streetwear line of its mother brand, Carhartt. This is a brand everyone is super familiar with already. WIP inherits many classic patterns from good old Carhartt and adds many more variations in texture and details. I am taking about Detroit Jacket, Michigan Jacket, and Bib Overall. One thing I love WIP is its long sleeve shirts. I have been in search of thick cotton long sleeve that can keep its shape for a long time. WIP is definitely the one I would go with all year long.
Norse Projects
Norse Project to me is a typical Nordic style brand featuring simple basics. There are many similar brands from Europe and Japan but this one is functional but also very comfy and quick.
Patagonia
I knew this brand a couple years ago when I first got to know outdoor gears. I used to think that the cut and colorways of Patagonia is a bit beyond my age but then not long ago when the hit of Fleece came along, I started to look more into this brand and the area of functional outwear. I would say its Gore-Tex jacket is just perfect and lightweight compared to some other outwear brands I have tried. In my opinion, its cut and detail is better than TNF and it has a price advantage than Arc’teryx.
Craig Green
British designer brand specializing in menwear and Craig Green himself was very much appreciated by Rei Kawakubo. A lot of its jackets have some sort of ethnic characteristics or patterns with asymmetric layers. The design is definitely vanward and bold.
Helmut Lang
Speaking of minimalism clothings, many people first think of Jil Sander but Helmut Lang is actually the originator of this concept. It shaped many other popular brands such as Celine, Raf Simons and you can even see some Helmut Lange type of thing in some of the hottest pieces of Amiri. Its peak era is definitely 90s so most of astonishing items are vintage (but with good quality). Although Helmut Lang himself left fashion industry for many years, the brand is still an important part in nowadays fashion legacy.
Nigel Cabourn
I knew this brand a couple years ago when I first saw the director wearing a suit of cargo at his age and I could feel the attitude of the old man for vintage-inspired clothing. His workwear style is a little bit different from the style from Japan, e.g. WTAPS, Neighborhood, with some British elements.
Issey Miyake Homme Plisse
Homme Plisse is a new concept of clothing for the contemporary menswear, made by the development of Issey Miyake’s original pleating technology. It’s possibly the most emerging and popular brands this year and it’s arguably the most comfortable pants/cloths to wear.
Nanamica
Nanamica is an outdoors-centric casualwear fashion label based in Tokyo, which combines a classic aesthetic with performance-driven construction. One of the hottest piece would be a Gore-tex blazer and its one of the core product of consistent sales(定番，ていばん) for this brand. A similar concept can be found in its cousin brand, TNF purple label.